Rail-bond



I (Modem F. H. DANIELS.

RAIL BOND.

No. 596,202. Patented Dec 28,1897.

I 55 651 mm.

UNiTnn STATES ATENT Trice.

FRED H. DANIELS, WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAIL-BOND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,202, dated December 28, 1897.

Application filed July 26,1897. Serial No. 645,901. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED H. DANIELS, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Bonds, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rail-bonds for electric railways, and particularly to that class of rail-bonds in which the terminals or ends are made integral with the body of the bond, and are of cylindrical or tubular shape, with an opening therethrough for a drift-pin or taper-tool; and the object of my invention is to reduce the cost of this style of bond by decreasing the amount of copper required at the terminals or ends of the bonds without decreasing the area or surface of the terminals which are in contact with the rails orin any way affecting the efficiency of the railbond. I have found that in manufacturing this style of rail-bond from lengths of copper rods a portion of the round rod adjoining the terminal may be put into the terminal, leaving the rod half-round or of semicircular shape next to the terminal, thus making a considerable saving of copper .in each rail-bond, and consequently reducing the cost of the bond.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction of my rail-bond, as will be hereinafter fully described.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a complete rail-bond of my improved construction. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the terminal or end, and of a rail with which it is combined. Fig. 3 is an end view of the terminal or end looking in the direction of arrow at, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 shows one end of a rail-bond rod with the terminal formed thereon before the rod is bent, as shown in the other figures. Figs. 2 to 4:, inclusive, are shown on an enlarged scale.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 is the railbond, preferably made from a straight length of copper rod of circular shape in cross-section. The terminals 2 are preferably made integral with the body of the bond, and are preferably formed by drop-forging.

In making the terminals 2 a portion of the rod adjoining the terminal is used to form the terminal, so that the rod or bond adjoining the terminal is of half-round or semicircular shape in cross-section,as shown in Fig. 4.

After the terminal is formed, as above described, With the annular shoulder or flange 2' thereon to bear against the rail, a hole 3, preferably having a double-taper portion, is drilled through the terminal either before or after the non-circular end of the rod is bent to cause the terminal 2 to extend at substantially right angles to the main body of the bond, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

A groove or depression 3 leading to the opening 3 through the terminal is preferably made in the non-circular portion of the bond adjoining the terminal, as shown, and this depression serves as a guide to direct the drift-pin (not shown) into the opening 3 and to hold the drift-pin in place in the operation of driving it into the hole in the terminal.

13y using a portion of the copper rod adjoining the terminal in making the terminal I decrease the amount of copper necessary to be used in the bond without decreasing the area or surface of the terminal which is in contact with the rail and without affecting the efficiency of the bond.

By providing the portion of the rod adjacent to the terminal with the longitudinal groove or depression the rod is made substantially semitubular in cross-section at that point, whereby it has the greatest strength with the least amount of material, and as it is well known that the current passes upon the exterior rather than through the mass it is evident that the depression also increases the carrying capacity of the rod at a point which would otherwise have the least area,

owing to the reduction in the size of the rod on account of taking a portion of it to form the terminal. By this constructionthe groove or depression performs a triple or threefold function, as it forms a guide for the drift-pin into the opening of the terminal, increases the carrying capacity of that portion of the rod, and also decreases the amount of material without decreasing the strength of the rod in like proportion.

It will be understood that the details of construction and form of my rail-bond may be varied, if desired. A taper-tool may be used instead of a drift-pin, and the shape of the opening through the terminal maybe varied, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As an improved article of manufacture, a rail-bond comprising a rod, each end of which is reduced and provided with a tubular ter- 10 minal, the portion of the rod adjacent to the 

